Hosemann endorses his staff member in Booneville race

BOONEVILLE – Booneville’s Republican mayoral candidate received an endorsement Tuesday from Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who made a visit to Booneville for a press conference on the county courthouse lawn.
About a dozen supporters of candidate Lindell “Lin” Floyd were on hand to hear from Hosemann, for whom Floyd has worked the past six years.
“Lin Floyd has participated in every legislative session in the secretary of state’s office for the past six years,” Hosemann said. “Lin knows how to run a public entity in the most efficient manner at the least cost to the citizens. He will make a great mayor.”
Asked for a reaction to the endorsement, Democratic candidate Derrick Blythe had a brief but direct response.
“Lin Floyd and Delbert Hosemann have three things in common,” Blythe said. “They both live in Jackson, neither pays land taxes in Booneville, and both think they know what’s best for Booneville.”
The question of Floyd’s residency was not raised prior to the primary election.
However, when the election commission was required to recertify candidates after the primary and before the general election, election commissioner Chris Lindley said there were issues they wanted clarified. Lindley and Barbara Shackelford are the only two election commissioners at this time, the third commissioner having resigned shortly before the primary election.
With only a two-week turnaround between the runoff election and the general election in which to have ballots printed, Lindley said they turned to the secretary of state’s office for direction. A staff member there said the election commission should certify Floyd based on the Republican committee’s certification.
Floyd, however, said these questions only arose in the past few days and were false issues.
“I hate to comment on it, it’s so absurd,” Floyd said. “Yes, I have worked in Jackson the past six years, but I have commuted back and forth from Jackson every weekend the past six years. I don’t receive mail anywhere other than here, my car registration and driver’s license list my Booneville address. I never had a long-term lease in Jackson, mostly stayed in a motel which was less expensive for me than a long-term lease.”
lena.mitchell@journalinc.com